A Tribute (Part 2)

This is a continuation of the previous post. In addition to the support my husband gave me during the time I had to stop nursing to heal from a staph infection, I received support from many other people, namely my mother and father, my kids, my sister, Robyn, my Aunt Bobbi and Uncle Rocky, and my friend and lactation consultant, Christy.

After a week of trying to nurse through agonizing cracks, John and I finally came up with a plan to heal. He would bring home a breast pump and bottles, and I would try to pump enough to feed the babies until I began to heal. Little did I know that it would take twelve hours a day to pump the amount needed to feed the twins, in part because of our inexperience in choosing a pump. We were both completely overwhelmed by this, so decided that we would need to enlist my mother's help. We arrived to EP the next day, and not only had she and my sister, Robyn, performed a 24-hour fast on my behalf, she tirelessly assisted in caring for all of the kids, including our two-year-old, Johnny, who probably requires more patience than the twins combined. Every time I needed her help, she was there, whether it was 5 in the morning, or 12 o' clock midnight. Most importantly, she gave me the emotional support I needed as she constantly encouraged me through the entire process.

My father gave so much encouragement as well, and was very patient as I took over his recliner in the living room, that he normally uses as a bed. :) He was patient with all of the extra people staying in his normally peaceful home for a week and he made us some awesome breakfasts!

My Aunt Bobbi and Uncle Rocky talked to respectable people in their medical field and were able to help me determine that I probaby had a staph infection and how to treat it. It was good advice that I could trust and it helped me to heal. (Sorry, Bob, but every time I tried to download your picture off Ben's sight, it would just turn into an x!)

I have to add here that my children went above and beyond to help our family. They spend so much time helping with feeding the twins and chasing Johnny, especially, and really stepped up to the plate when we needed them. Sometimes they let their feelings of frustration or fatigue show, but all-in-all, I could not have asked for better, more helpful kids during this difficult time in our family.

Next, I would like to thank my friend Christy, who is my neighbor, lactation consultant, cousin-in-law and dear, dear friend. She lost sleep over my condition. She searched her literature and the internet for answers. She looked up her lactation counselor's phone number, with whom she hadn't spoken in ten years. She sat with me in her father-in-law's office as I pumped pathetic amounts of milk and talked to me about her pumping story with her second child. She encouraged me and told me that she KNEW I could do it and that I wouldn't fail and that, in the end, these babies would be nursing again. I get a tear in my eye just thinking about it. Thank you, Christy!

Finally, I would like to thank The Lord for giving me this experience. I got to see first hand how my friends and family were His hands; here to help me on this earth. I was able to witness amounts of love that I had not previously known were there, or to what extent. I'm grateful that now I can be a help to someone who might be in my situation, who has never had luck with pumping, but who must in an emergency situation. I am grateful that now I have a nice pump that I could lend to someone in CJ or D in the case of an emergency. I'm grateful that perhaps John has a better taste of what my life is like, not that he doesn't appreciate me, because he does, but that he understands. I'm thankful that now I know I can pump, and if I want to, I can leave milk for the babies with their siblings and attend the temple sooner than I would have been able to otherwise. I'm thankful for everyone in this wonderful, small town who comforted me and asked how I'm healing. (I don't want to name them all, because I know I will forget someone.)

To some, it may seem as if it would have been the end of the world for me to have to give up nursing the twins, and in some ways it would have been. This has been a very special bonding time for us and I'm so grateful that that wasn't taken away. Thank goodness for the tender mercies of The Lord.